


one two three thousand years

by sadie18



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Denial of Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Gods, Heaven, Immortality, Immortals, M/M, Minor Eric Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-19 02:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19966774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadie18/pseuds/sadie18
Summary: Centuries. Dex would live centuries.In one of those centuries, he'd had the misfortune of meeting Nursey--alternatively, stupid boys meant to be gods don't understand why they still have feelings





	one two three thousand years

**Author's Note:**

> talk w me on tumblr @jackkzimmermann!

The thing about being an immortal celestial being was that you lived for a _long fucking time_. Time becomes fluid. You can never run out of it, never have too much of it. 

Time just _is._

Years and years ago, William had been a hero on Earth. He died a selfless death and ascended to the growing ranks of gods and goddesses, as a reward. He adopted a ridiculous nickname, like most of the gods had. Dex had been good on Earth. His sacrifice secured a comfortable afterlife. 

Centuries. Dex would live centuries. 

In one of those centuries, he'd had the misfortune of meeting Nursey. 

Nursey, who had been an intellectual in his lifetime, educating people anywhere and everywhere, had been assassinated for propaganda. His death was mourned. He was noble. 

Dex didn't care, after listening to him speak for five minutes. The guy _pissed him off._

It had been a disaster, in the years that had followed after they'd met. There were religious wars. There were lots of natural disasters as they took out their anger on Earth. Bitty, a fellow god, almost murdered the both of them in cold blood. 

Time heals all wounds

They had time. 

Something changed. An agreement was reached. There was understanding between them. 

_I'll never be you, and you'll never be me._

_I was a poor boy from a dirty village, drafted into the army at sixteen and had to crawl up the ranks on my hands and knees to become the first general not born into power. I did it for my country. For my family. For me. I fought for years. And then I fucking died._

_I was a rich heir from a wealthy family. I could bathe in riches if I wanted. I had a set path for me from the minute I was born. I chose to spread the knowledge that the educated withheld from the underprivileged. I was fucking murdered for my good fucking deeds._

There was a truce. 

Which would explain why Dex's worshippers had eventually stopped waging wars against Nursey's followers. It would explain why Dex and Nursey had become tentative friends, over the centuries (with a little pushing from Chowder and some ordering from Jack). 

Dex spent years learning about Nursey. About him, the way he looked, the lilt of his voice. How Nursey would mouth the words as he read. There was a dusting of freckles on his dark cheekbones and the sharp ridge of his nose. His eyes were hazel, the green flecks brighter in the sunset. His tattoos, a thick band around his bicep, swirls and patterns on his back, creeping up the nape of his neck. His relaxed face, unfurrowed brow as he constantly muttered, "Calm down, Dex." 

Nursey exuded confidence. He was smart, strong, and rich. He was everything he was supposed to be, when he had been alive, the perfect heir to a perfect family. 

The truce would explain why Dex was in a terrible, terrible predicament. 

There was only a few people in all the heavens he could talk to about it. 

"I have an issue." He murmured, already feeling himself flush, embarrassed. Bitty, Chowder and Lardo ( _fuck,_ these nicknames were stupid. They were _gods)_ looked at him concernedly. Bitty was the most caring person Dex knew. He and his partner, Jack, had fought for years until they fell in love. Chowder was smart, and he knew both Dex Nursey very well. Cared for them deeply. And Lardo was- Lardo was just _necessary_. 

"What's wrong, Dex?" Bitty said comfortingly. Ah. Bless his soul. If you asked Dex, Jack truly didn't deserve such a Saint. The man knew it, too. 

"I.." Dex coughed a little, trying to will the blood flowing to his face elsewhere. This was humiliating enough. " _I'mkindofinlovewithNursey_." 

"What was that?" Chowder's brow furrowed and _ugh,_ why did Dex screw it up the first time? Now he had to repeat himself. 

"I'm kind of- _you know-_ -with Nursey." Dex muttered, slower this time. Each word felt painful to say, but at the same time, surprised Dex with how liberating it was. He'd been keeping it to himself, letting it fester, angrily subjecting himself to wallowing and pining. And now he'd said it out loud. 

"You know?" Chowder said confusedly, "what do I know- in _hate?_ In _dis-_ oh! _Oh."_

Love.

Finally.

It was terrifying. Freeing

Funny how the world juxtaposed like that, sometimes. 

The three of them looked at Dex, a split second where Dex was consumed with fear, _should he have said that?_ Then Lardo breathed out. 

"Holy shit, Dex, how long?" 

Dex inwardly groaned, knowing he was subjecting himself to chirping for millennia to come. 

"2,375 years." He mumbled. 

The three of them in front of him looked like a dramatic renaissance painting. Lardo was choking, beating at her chest in an uncivilised manner; Chowder looked like all his dreams had come true, squealing and clutching at Bitty; who was looking at him mildly, his small mouth curving upwards delicately. 

"That's longer than Jack and I." Bitty said kindly. "By a lot." 

Jack and Bitty had had wars too. Their relationship was notorious. 

"I just--needed to talk about it." Dex said, beginning to regret opening up immediately. "But guys- Lardo, it's _not_ worth losing a lung, fucking _relax-_ Nursey _can't_ know. Like, he can never find out." 

"Why?" Lardo recovered from her hacking fit, taking slow, deep breaths. 

Dex looked at her as if she grew a second head. 

"What do you mean _why?"_ He snapped. "He'll fucking humiliate me. _Oh, this guy I used to beat on now has a stupid crush on me! Have a go!_ I'm realistic. Yeah, you could probably consider us close friends now, but that does _not_ erase our history. He's Derek Nurse and I'm William Poindexter! It'll never work! And now I have to get rid of these fucking f- _feelings."_

The three people watching him looked on in amazement at his short tirade. 

"Dex." Bitty put a soothing hand on his arm. "Feelings are normal. This is normal. You don't have to get rid of anything. And you don't have to tell him anything. Don't be proud." 

"Yeah Dex." Chowder chimed in. "There are more feelings than neutral and anger!" 

Lardo leaned forward. "Besides, Nursey wouldn't do that. He's got your back. You've got his." 

Dex groaned at the sympathetic faces of his friends. 

* * *

Dex decided to avoid Nursey as much as possible. If there was one thing he was good at, it was repressing unwanted feelings. Who was he to not demonstrate his skills? 

And it worked, for a bit. Dex didn't see Nursey. Dex didn't think about Nursey. Dex didn't think about loving Nursey. It was simple. 

Of course, nothing lasts forever. 

Dex had gone for his early morning run, a habit from his life on Earth that he'd brought with him into the afterlife. He relished the burn in his lungs and the strain in his muscles as he ran- it made him feel a little human, sometimes. Even gods couldn't be quite perfect. 

He'd peeled off his shirt, beforehand. It wasn't even dawn, he was alone. It was no issue. 

Until it was. 

Nursey had walked into the stands. He sat there silently, calculative. Dex pretended not to see him, keeping his head down. One foot in front of the other. _Left, right, left, right_. The sun was beginning to rise. 

Nursey came down from the stands. 

"Hey." He said, approaching him slowly. Dex slowed his jog into a walk. He probably looked a mess- his red hair sticking to his forehead, sweating and sticky. 

"Hey." Dex murmured back, quiet for no reason but the fact that he was nervous. 

Nursey jammed his hands together in a fidgety movement and Dex let his eyes train on that. His fingers, slightly calloused and rough, dark and tan. The veins stuck out in sharp contrast to the rest of his hands. His palms looked a bit clammy. 

Nursey was nervous too. 

Dex began to feel sick. 

"Did I do something?" Nursey blurted, sounding annoyed, his cheeks darkening. "I mean- you've been avoiding me." He frowned, as if demonstrating how that made him feel. It warmed Dex's heart maybe a little more than he cared to admit. 

" _Uh-_ no." Dex floundered. "I haven't. Uh- been avoiding you." 

Nursey's frown deepened and Dex knew that was the wrong answer. "I'm not stupid, _Poindexter-_ " _Ouch,_ he pulled out the real name - "You haven't spoken with me in a week. Everytime I come towards you you run off. I don't know what's going on." 

Dex crossed his arms over his bare chest. His biceps strained and he puffed his chest out slightly, not willing to let fucking _Nursey_ intimidate him. "I do _not_ run off. I didn't notice I was avoiding you." 

Nursey's eyes flashed. Dex knew he was getting irritated for real. "Are you serious right now? We've spoken to each other almost every day for like, 3000 years, and you _didn't notice_ how that suddenly stopped. What gives?" 

Dex shrugged, feigning nonchalance and feeling worse and worse as the conversation went on. "Been busy. Chill, _Nurse_." 

It was comical, the split second that Nursey realised that Dex used his line on him, gave him a taste of his own medicine. His mouth opened in a flounder and he _gasped_.

Then he lunged at Dex. 

It was a struggle. Nursey, with the element of surprise, managed to pin Dex to the ground, his knees on either side of the redhead's hips, his hands pinning Dex's too the ground above his head. 

" _What's. Going. On_?" Nursey snarled, emphasising each word. Dex scowled at him, feeling tempted to spit in his face. Instead, he planted his feet and used his hips to shove Nursey upwards. Nursey lost his balance, releasing his hands, and Dex swung his legs around to give Nursey a taste of his own medicine. 

"Why do you even _care_?" Dex snapped, pushing down on Nursey's hands harder and harder to punctuate each word. "It's not a big deal." 

"We're _friends,_ Dex." Nursey groaned under Dex's weight. "Of course I care." 

_We're friends._

That stung a little more than Dex would've liked. 

"Don't be proud." Nursey said, turning slightly red for some reason, filling the silence. That's the second time Dex had heard someone to tell him to stop being proud. How could he? His pride was already diminishing by the seconds he spent with Nursey. "It's okay to _talk_ to people about feelings other than anger." 

Dex sighed annoyedly, releasing Nursey's hands and sitting back, crossing his arms. Nursey went redder. 

Ah. 

Dex was straddling Nursey. As soon as he noticed, all the blood in his body shot to his face, making his realisation very obvious on his face. Then, the blood changed direction, going southwards--

This was his cue to storm off.

He left Nursey on the ground of the track, the sun finally risen fully over the horizon. 

* * *

"Feelings are fucking _human."_ Dex complained to Chowder. "Why do I have them?" 

Chowder had been an emperor's son in his life. His father had been a hated emperor--Chowder did most of the heavy lifting for the royal family. 

Then he died. All the good ones die. It was the whole point of turning heroes into gods. 

They were currently haunting an abandoned temple, of a god that had been forgotten and unworshipped over the years. It was like the death of your afterlife, being forgotten as a god. Except there was no third chance. 

Dex liked the abandoned temples. He would learn to be better than them. He would never be forgotten. 

"Yeah, well, that's where we all started off." Chowder grumbled ruefully, dusting some crumbling plaster off his legs when they sat down. "Like, it takes a long, long, long, long _looooong_ time for all your human qualities to go away. Stuff like pain, fear and feelings. Like we're not even at, like, one tenth of the amount of centuries you need to reach before losing all that. Most are forgotten before they reach that stage! Might as well accept it."

"Don't wanna." Dex said petulantly. Chowder rolled his eyes. 

"Nursey's worried about you." Chowder said. "He told me you guys had a talk, he got a bit violent, you got a bit violent." 

Dex could tell Chowder knew more than that. "Did he tell you how I was basically straddling him for a minute, blushed a lot and then ran away?" 

Chowder tried for an innocent demeanour. "Possibly." Dex moaned into his hands. 

"This is so bad." He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "This is a nightmare." 

"Don't be fucking ridiculous." Chowder nudged him with his foot. "Let's get this straight-- you fell in love with him because you were basically forced to stick with him for 3,000 years, give or take."

Dex nodded slowly. 

"Well, he's had to spend that much time with _you_ for 3,000 years as well. You've learned him. _He's learned you."_

Dex knew this. Of course he did. 

"I'm not buying it, Chow." Dex said. It pained him to hear how sad his voice was. 

* * *

" _William J. Poindexter!"_

Dex was going for his morning run, a week after he and Nursey had their scuffle. He whipped his head around immediately, getting ready to murder whoever had used his full name. 

Nursey. Of _course,_ it was _Nursey._

It felt awfully reminiscent of the week before. Dex running before the sun had come up. Nursey awake (to talk to him in private?) and interrupting him. Nursey being a nuisance too Dex and his wellbeing. 

"You are _ignoring_ me." Nursey said grandly, opening his arms as Dex slowed his run to a stop in front of him. "We haven't spoken since last week." 

Dex made to open his mouth, but Nursey jumped at him, putting a firm finger on his lips, shocking him and effectively silencing him. " _Listen."_

Dex didn't know how that was supposed to work--listening and concentrating while Nursey's finger was on his _mouth._

"I don't know _what_ I did wrong, or what happened that wasn't me, or _something._ But I'm sorry, okay? Like, I don't know how else to say it. I'll write you a hundred poems, I'll read you to sleep every night, but _fuck,_ Dex, I miss you, okay? 3,000 years and suddenly we stop talking-"

This is where Dex began to zone out. Because Nursey was in front of him, eyes shining as he passionately apologised, the sun rising behind him, lighting his brown curls just the right way. It looked like he had a halo on. They were close enough that Dex could count Nursey's freckles and see the tiny scar on his lip from fighting Dex years and years ago. Dex could look into Nursey's eyes and see the hypnotic specks of green and gold. 

Dex's hands were twitching. 

"-are you even _listening_?" Nursey pinched Dex in the side, with the hand that wasn't shushing Dex. "I care about-" 

Dex lunged. It was different from the week before. This time, Dex had shock factor. This time, Nursey was on the floor first. This time, Dex kissed Nursey. 

It was chaste, for someone who had knocked the other guy to the ground, but Dex had done it, and when he pulled back, he was looking down at Nursey back into those _stupid_ eyes of his, and he was filled with the grappling fear of _oh fuck I've fucked everything up I'm done for -_

Nursey smiled. He smiled brightly. His body rumbled with laughter under Dex's and he placed a hand on the back of Dex's neck. 

"Don't tell me that's why you've been ignoring me." He chuckled quietly, giggling harder as Dex scowled his answer. Nursey leaned back up for another kiss- this time it was slower, longer. To Dex, everything slotted into place, finally.

When they pulled away for a second time, Nursey curled his fingers into Dex's hair. "I've been wanting this for 3,000 years." 

Dex gasped. That was when they'd struck up their truce, the beginning of their friendship. It meant a lot to him. How could he articulate that, though? He'd been loving Nursey for 2,375 years, and Nursey had _loved him longer._

Instead, he said, "you fucking _dork._ We could have done this ages ago."

Instead of looking abashed, Nursey smirked. "What, like, _2,375 years ago?"_

Dex gasped at the exact number. He poked a finger into Nursey's chest. " _Chowder._ I'm going to _kill_ him." 

"Why would you do that?" Nursey snaked his arms around Dex's back, pulling him closer down. "It worked out." 

Dex smiled. 

The sun rose fully over the horizon, lighting the track and the two men tangled up on it. 

  


**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated xo


End file.
